Continuous gauging apparatus



y 6, 1954 M. A. CROSBY 2,682,710

CONTINUOUS GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 50, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l YINVENTOR MELVIN A CROSBY BY ATTORNEYS FIGJ.

y 1954 M. A. CROSBY 8 ,710

CONTINUOUS GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7 72 MELVIN CROSBY 74 MM: 6 J'oM/mim,

TTORNEYS July 6, 1954 M, CROSBY 2,682,710

CONTINUOUS GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MELVIN A. CROSBY BY 7mm 6 7mm ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STAT rant OFFICE 2,682,710 CONTINUOUS GAUGING APPARATUS Melvin A. Crosby, Cincinnati, Ohio, aSsignor-to,

The Commonwealth Engineering Company of Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application January 25, 1947, Serial. No.

724,319. Divided and this application November 30,1949, Serial No. 130,190

7 Claims.

micrometers from time to time and to compare his measurements with a blueprint or other standard. Another method employed for producing workpieces of a certain configuration is to have-the machine fitted with contouring controls so that the workpieces are formed automatically by the machine in a continuous cycle according toa template or pattern.

In the latter case, aspecial machine is required, or auxiliary fittings are required so that the utility ofthe machine is definitely limited, and the change from one workpiece to another involves considerable set-up time and skill.

The particular object of the present invention isto provide means whereby a standard machine such as a lathe can readily be adapted for producing workpieces according to a predetermined configuration, andwithout the fitting thereto of expensive and extensive auxiliary equipment.

Another object is to provide mechanism in combination with a machine tool, such as a lathe, by means of which a continuous indication is given of the workpiece size throughout cutting operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means in association with a machine tool for producing a record of the machining of the workpiece which can be attached thereto for recordand inspection purposes.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide means for adjusting the cutting tool of the machine and the indicating mechanism so that the operator can be certain at all times that theindications given by the indicator are correct.

These andother objects andadvantages will become more apparent upon reference to the following description, taken in connection with the attached drawings, inwhich: V

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away,

of a lathe having auxiliary equipment according to this invention;

Figure 2 is a transversev section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the cutting tool and indicating mechanism gauge;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections of one type of indicator mechanism;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing the arrangement of another form of indicating mechanism;

Figure 5 is an -electrical diagram of the indicator circuit of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a'viewsimilar to Figure 4 but showing a modified arrangement; and

Figure. 7-is a view illustrating still another modification.

General -armngeme nt According to thisin'vention, therev is provideda machine toolhaving means for supporting a workpiece and. a cuttingtool for traversing and shaping the workpiece. Arrangedto move relativeto the work in thesame manner as the aforementioned cutting tooldoes, is'an indicating, mechanism which continuously measures the,

piece size, this indication may be compared with a chart or drawing carried on the machine, so that the operator has a continuous visual indication of the size of the workpiecebeingmachined. By this he is enabled to, make adjustments in the tool setting so that the turned workpiece is of the correct sizeand shape.

When the indicator makes a record of the workpiece size, the said record forms the visual indication, and the record may be attached to the workpiece after machining as a file record or for inspection purposes.

Another form of the invention utilizes a template or pattern, and the workpiece is continuously compared therewith and differences in size of the workpiece and the pattern are, either indicated or recorded so that the operator can make the necessary adjustmentsv of the tool.

The invention. also contemplates the provision of a gauge on the machine tool frame which can be moved into position to permit the indicating mechanism and the tool to be set thereagainst so that when a new tool is placed in the machine, or when the tool is re-ground, it can be readjusted into its proper position relative to the indicator.

Structural arrangement Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a machine tool such as a lathe having a bed iii which mounts a headstock 12, a tailstock l4, and a tool supporting carriage It. The headstock may comprise workpiece holding means such as the chuck 18 so that a workpiece 29 can be driven in rotation relative to the tool 22 which is carried in the compound 24 mounted on the crossslide 26 of the carriage 16.

According to this invention, and as best seen in Figure 2, the carriage 16 supports a longitudinally adjustable slide 28 on which is mounted a telescoping column arrangement 35. Pivotally supported at the upper end of the upper portion of the column 30 is a feeler arm 32 which engages the workpiece 28, as at 34.

The feeler arm 32 is connected with the movable portion 36 of an adjustable rheostat 323 that is connected by the wires 40 with a battery 42 and an indicating electrical instrument 44. It will be apparent that the indication of the instrument 44 will also be an indication of the position of the arm 32 relative to the supporting column 39, and, therefore, of the diameter of the workpiece 20. Thus, the size of the workpiece which is being turned can at any time be determined by the observation of the instrument 44.

As shown in Figure 1, the feeler arm 32 engages the workpiece somewhat to the rear of the cutting tool 22 in order that the said feeler arm will always ride on a surface which has been turned by the cutting tool.

In Figure 3, there is shown an arrangement wherein a feeler arm 32a is connected to drive a gear 46 which, in turn, runs on a smaller gear 48 that is connected with the movable arm 36a of a rheostat 38a. The rheostat 38a is of a di vided type, and the arm 36a is connected by a wire 50 with one terminal of an instrument 52, while the ends of the separate resistance portions of the rheostat are each connected with one terminal of separate batteries, the other terminals of which are connected together and to the opposite side of the instrument 52 by a wire. The arrangement is such that movement of the feeler arm 32a in either direction will cause an indi cation on the instrument 52 of the amount of said movement.

Thus, if a cylindrical workpiece is being turned, or a flat surface is being machined, the arrangement shown in Figure 3 will be operable continuously to indicate any deviations from a predetermined workpiece size.

In connection with the arrangements shown in Figures 1 and 2, the machine is preferably provided with a viewing screen or window as at 56, best seen in Figure 4, which consists of an aperture adapted for receiving a pair of trans parent or translucent plane members 58 which receive therebetween a transparent or translucent chart as on which is inscribed, drawn, or printed the workpiece outline, as indicated at 62 in Figure 1.

Within the headstock [2, there is a threaded spindle or screw 64 which carries a bracket 66 that may be guided in reciprocation as by the guide rod 68. The bracket 66 mounts a light source it which preferably comprises a light bulb and a condensing lens system so that a relatively fine pencil of light is thrown on an oscillatable mirror 12 whence the light deflects into the window opening 56, where it makes a trace on the chart 6!] that the operator can compare with the workpiece outline 62.

The oscillatable mirror 12 is preferably supported on the shaft E4 of an electrical instrument movement it which is connected in series with the rheostat 38 and battery 42 of the circuit shown in Figure 2. Optionally, there may be provided a switch 58 by which the circuit may be interrupted, if desired. This circuit is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings.

The spindle or screw 64 is driven by an arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 4, wherein it will be seen that the feed rod 8t of the lathe extends into a compartment at the rear of the lathe where it carries a gear 82. The gear 82 meshes with another gear 84 which is connected to drive the spindle or screw 64. A cover 85 may be provided which can be removed in order to change the gears 82 and 84, thereby to change the ratio of speeds of the feed rod 80 and spindle 64, this being necessary when the workpiece is large so that a reduced sized image can be employed on the viewing screen.

Conversely, if the workpiece is quite small, then an enlarged image can be placed in the viewing screen and the spindle 84 be connected to run to drive the bracket 65 at a greater speed than that of the carriage [6.

In Figure 4a it will be seen that the feed rod 80 carries a gear 88 which is driven by the worm 90 that, in turn, is driven by a gear 92 from a suitable source of power carried in the machine bed.

It will be apparent that the foregoing arrangement provides for a continuous visual indication of the size of the workpiece being formed in the machine. The operator is enabled to observe at all times whether or not the workpiece is being formed properly. Furthermore, the visual indication is so located on the machine that a supervisor can check the operators work at any time merely by observing the viewing screen.

In order to insure that the cutting tool and the feeler arm are properly adjusted relative to one another, there is preferably mounted on the headstock of the machine a bracket 94 that may be pivoted as at 86 to rotate between the full line position shown in Figure 2 and the dotted line position therein. A stop pin 98 positively stops the bracket in both of its positions of movement and a means such as the spring loaded plunger [60 may be employed for retaining the gauge in its upper position. The bracket includes an angular portion I32 having a pair of surfaces I04 and H36 at right angles to each other.

When the bracket is pivoted into its dotted line position, the tool and feeler arm may be adjusted relatively by resting the feeler arm on the surface Hi4 while bringing the cutting tool into engagement with the surface 105. Preferably, these surfaces include inscribed gauge marks on which the tool and the point of the feeler arm should rest.

With the tool and feeler arm in this position, the rheostat in circuit with the battery and instrument movement I6 is adjusted in order to bring the light beam into register with a predetermined gauge point on the viewing screen, which is indicated by the crossed lines at I08 in Figure 1. By using cross lines, the relative position of the tool and feeler arm in the axial direcacsagizroc tion of the workpiece can also be adjusted lso:

thatat all itimes there is a predetermined lead ing=of thefe'eler arm-by the-took This-feature -is-of' merit in -the-"event that itis desired to turntapers' :so:' that th'ephart mounted in' th'erviewing aperture-can-be=rnodified from the actuaLpQntOur of the workpieceinaorder to: give a tmei indication to theop'eraton of the position ofthetool relativetothe work:-

11 1 Figure fithere isishown ianaarrangement similar to that illustratedinrl igures 1 through1'5; except that-the carriage .3llllcarries, by means of a bracket 302, a frame 304 within which is mounted the light source 336. The light source 306 is carried on a gear 308 which is connected by a gear train 3 ID with a gear 3l2 which is directly connected with a feeler arm 3 I 4. The light source 366 projects a beam of light directly onto a viewing screen 3 it which is stationarily supported on the headstock 3l8, as by a bracket 32B.

It will be apparent that the arrangement shown in Figure 6 operates in a manner substantially identical with the other modifications except that the connection between the light beam and the feeler arm is direct instead of through a multiplying electrical circuit.

Figure 7 shows an arrangement which is similar to the arrangement in Figure 6, and in which similar parts are identified by the same reference numerals with the addition of a subscript it, except that the light beam is replaced by an inscribing member 400 which traces a visible line on a. chart 402 carried on the back of a curved glass 4M mounted in the viewing aperture. As before, the glass 4M and'chart 402 may be transparent or translucent, so that the operator can actually see the trace of the inscriber 480 at it is actuated by movements of the feeler arm 3 4a.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention provides means for continuexact size of the workpiece for the benefit of the machine operator or supervisor.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to diiferent'usages and conditions, and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may, fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an indicating device for a machine tool, said machine tool having workpiece supporting means and tool supporting means movable longitudinally thereto; workpiece feeling means adapted for mounting on said tool supporting means and adapted for continuously engaging a workpiece in said workpiece supporting means being shaped during said longitudinal movement, a carriage, tracing means movably mounted on said carriage, means adapted for connecting said carriage with said tool supporting means for movement of the carriage in unison with said tool supporting means, means connecting said tracing means with said feeling means for moving said tracing means on said carriage in response to movement of said-feeling means in following the outline of the workpiece being shaped, and means under the influence of said tracing means for describing the outline of the workpiece as it is shaped during the forming thereof.

2. In an indicating device for a machine tool, said machine tool having workpiece supporting means and tool supporting means movable axifonimountingzonzzt-said tooisupporting-means and:

allyv thereto; ;workpiece afeeling means adapteds adapted'rzforrcontinuouslya engaging 1 a workpiece in the said workpiece supporting;..means being.v shaped and in the region Where the workpiece is engaged by"the-shaping tool duringsaidaxial movementga'icarriageimsaid machine adapted for connection with said tool .supportingmeans. so ,astdbe movable in unisonwith the movements of jsaidiitoolsupporting means, axially of the saidworkpiece,.,tracing means mounted on said carriage tiltablesthereon about-anaxis parallel to the direction-of movement of said .carriage, means connecting s'aid'tracing means with said feeling means whereby movement of said feeling means will produce a corresponding movement of said tracing means, and a curved screen on which the tracing means traces an outline of the workpiece during movement of said carriage and tracing means.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 in which the screen is a portion of a cylinder having its axis coinciding with the axis about which said tracing means is tiltable.

4. In a size indicating device; a feeler support movable longitudinally along a workpiece to be indicated, a feeler movably carried by said support adapted for engaging the workpiece during said movement and movable on the support angularly to the direction of movement of said support in response to changes in size of the workpiece, a carriage, means drivingly connecting said carriage with said support for movement therewith, tracin means mounted on the carriage tiltable thereon about an axis parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage, means connecting said tracing means with said feeler for movement of the tracer means in unison with the feeler as the feeler moves on said support following the longitudinal outline of a workpiece being indicated, and a stationary viewing screen on which the tracing means traces a path during movement of said carriage and said tracing means to give a continuous outline of the wor piece while it is being worked upon.

5. An arrangement as called for in claim 4 in which the said tracing means includes means to project a beam of light on the back of said viewing screen, and said viewing screen bein a translucent element.

6. An arrangement as called for in claim 5 in which said viewing screen is formed as a portion of a cylinder about the said axis about which v said tracing means is tiltable.

7. In an indicating device for a machine tool having workpiece supporting means and tool supporting means movable longitudinally thereto, workpiece feeler means adapted for mounting on said tool supporting means and adapted for continuously engaging a workpiece in said workpiece supporting means during said longitudinal movement, a viewing screen havin a chart thereon inscribed with the outline the workpiece will have 7 chronism with the movements of said feeler means whereby the tracin on said screen conforms with the outline of the workpiece detected by said feeler means.

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